The Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum is a venue to discuss issues pertaining to India's security environment, her strategic outlook on global affairs and as well as the effect of international relations in the Indian Subcontinent. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times.

Philip wrote: Therefore,an action plan/policy from which we must not deviate under any circumstances, must be ensured so that Iran stays on our side and allows us to trade with Central Asia through its land/sea corridor.

Philip Ji, what extend would you go to appease them so that they stay on our side? In a second, they change their colours faster than chameleon !

Philip, What gives barking rights to Iran ? I still prefer Saudis to Iranians. Atleast Saudis have influence over so many gulf actors while Iran has almost zero.Why not turn the question on 180 degree and see that India is getting p!ssed off with a friendless Iran. India has many options in Gulf but Iran has got very few except for exhorting terrorists to lob few more missiles in Israel. Jealous Iranian mullahs must smell the coffee before India too moves away from them. They must work overtime to keep India in the list of Friendly countries. Not many are lining up to be Irans friend anyways.We haven't forgotten how Iran helped Pakis during 65 and 71. These Mullahs of Tehran deserve few more kicks from KSA and USA.

Philip wrote:Iran is gradually getting p*ssed off with India,whose diplomacy is like that of a drunk trying to walk on a straight line.One day we;re all gung-ho about Chahbahar,then its progress crawls,we buy less oil from Iran tx to US pressure,etc.

Philip sir Iran has all the right in world to get pissed with our policies but it has no business in India's internal affaires.. May be our leaders don't consider Iran reliable enough to go full steam on Chabahar port..

Interestingly, folks from my KB who have been to Iran in recent past were full praise of Mango Iranians and the feedback is that Iranians absolutely love Indians and have that envious love-hate feelings for the great Satan while absolutely hating Bakis and KSA. This feedback from Bong friends who have no clue on strategic affairs and would hardly care to discuss politics except for local Bengal politics.

The one-sided Indian romance with Iran over some imaginary civilisational and cultural ties is not only misguided but dangerous.We might be falling into a trap by investing billions of dollars into a country that is not ready to give concrete assurances and has been playing on all sides.

Iran, as an Islamic state, has completed a full transition and the only civilisation it sees itself as part of is Islamic. Khamenei’s statement should make it amply clear to any woolly eyed Indian that Iran is an Islamic state and proud of it. Whenever it points to its Persian history, it is only to differentiate itself from the Arabs. This is not due to any love for its past but because of its competition to be the leader of the Islamic world – another thing that Khamenei’s statement pointed to.

All major Indian projects in Iran face hard negotiations, heartburn or, worse, disillusionment. Farzad B gas field is a classic example. Discovered by a consortium of Indian companies, Iran initially agreed to give drilling rights to India. But the on-again, off-again sanctions on Iran led to bickering between both the sides on the issue. Recently, news emerged that the Iranians had signed an initial agreement with Russian giant Gazprom for the gas field.

Iran continues to maintain strict neutrality between India and Pakistan. And if we go by Khamenei’s statement, it has in fact chosen the Pakistani side. The ‘neutrality’ of Iran is evident in more places than one.

The hyped Chabahar port in Iran being developed by India is sold by New Delhi as an achievement of Indo-Iranian friendship. It is actually more of an achievement for Tehran to get New Delhi to foot the bill for developing a port in the country. On its part, Tehran has made it clear that the port is not exclusive to India. It has invited participation and investment from China and Pakistan. As far as the strategic value of the port is concerned, every Indian shipment into or out of Chabahar port will be scanned by Iranian guards. When India tried to ship dynamite sticks to Afghanistan via Iran to help in the construction of Salma dam there, Iranians refused to comply. Under these circumstances, to expect Iran to help Indian strategic interests either in Afghanistan or anywhere else is completely imaginary.

Khamenei called on the Iranian judiciary to firmly declare support or opposition to legal and humanitarian issues, such as sanctions, terrorism and oppressed people in the world, in order to reflect its stance on them "throughout the world".

NEW DELHI: For the second time in a week, Iran's 'supreme leader' Ayatollah Khamenei made comments about Kashmir, urging support for its "oppressed Muslims", reported the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).Khamenei's timing is noteworthy, as his comments came in the run-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, which is no friend of Iran's. Further, with India and Iran squabbling over a gas field, and India's tilt toward Riyadh, Indo-Iran ties are suddenly not looking too high on New Delhi's agenda .

Based on DrRatnadip's link it is now clear that he mentioned it a second time. If the Iranians wish to pursue this, they will learn that they are making a gross error of judgement. Trump may yet go back on the sanctions lifting. They will need friends either way.

Amazing how quickly the winds change. I'm referring not just to Iran's behaviour, but to the speed and extent of the global realignment that has been triggered (or perhaps accelerated) by India's decision to ally with the US in this advanced stage of the Great Game.

Talmiz Ahmad, former ambassador, refers to his comments as "the rantings of an old man"... "loose remarks of a seriously ill and tired individual". Pretty harsh. I have never heard such language against Iran from a former government official. I think it was probably "authorised"...

JE Menon wrote:Based on DrRatnadip's link it is now clear that he mentioned it a second time. If the Iranians wish to pursue this, they will learn that they are making a gross error of judgement. Trump may yet go back on the sanctions lifting. They will need friends either way.

China will do all it can to break up Indo-Iranian relations.We are being exceptionally myopic in "shelving" Indo-Iranian ties.China is waiting to back Iran against the US_Saudi Sunni alliance in the ME,so that it can establish a firm foothold in the region just as the Russians have done in Syria,also helping Iran.The Iranian angst is that we appear to be Uncle Sam's latest catamite,siding with it in global matters.Indo-Israeli ties another problem,but not as serious as that with Uncle Sam and his Saudi /Gulfie bedfellows.who are hell bent upon destabilising their Shiite rival.China already has a firm foothold at Gwadar,imagine if it acquires base/logistic facilities in IRan.India's entire energy shipping from the Gulf will be at great risk from PLAN assets operating out of Gwadar and an Iranian port.

India should immediately send a high level delegation to Tehran and smoothen out any differences,real or illusionary. The gas deal we're offering is a good step and we must have time-bound deadlines on JV such as Chahbahar to maintain our reputation.In Sri Lanka,we've been v.poor at timeframes in the northern reconstruction.

Let's also remember that the Saudis ARE funding Islamist jihadis in India through their Wahaabi agenda,the Shiite Iranians are not.The Saudis,in collusion with the Pakis are a dangerous threat to us with theiur global agenda of spreading Wahaabism in nations with large Muslim populations.Iran is also a vital player in the future of Afghanistan.One must be on some opiate of one thinks that Uncle Sam will militarily support us in the event of a clash with China.Their will be some level of support in arms,intel,etc,,but we will have to fight alone. Therefore ,we need as many friends that we can bind with us in the IOR ,keeping out the Chinese esp. in such strategically critical spots like Iran.

There is no shelving happening Philip. We are about to put $11 bn into their oil and gas infrastructure. But they will have to know that casually including Kashmir with Myanmar, Yemen and what not is not on.

Respect should be mutual. We do not involve ourselves in any problems they have in Iranian Kurdistan, or in Sistan-Baluchistan, or ever comment on it.

True.Mutual respect absolute. However,China's push into Iran is aimed at both curtailing India's relations as well as expanding the Chinese presence,both eco and mil firmly in the gulf.It will give Iran arms,etc. to shore up its def. capability against the Saudis and co. Chinese dpl. support for iran at the UNSC is also on the anvil.WE have to be very focused at not allowing any such relationship to be at India's expense.

>>However,China's push into Iran is aimed at both curtailing India's relations as well as expanding the Chinese presence,both eco and mil firmly in the gulf.

No doubt about it. The Chinese will do it no matter what. However, have you ever heard Khamen'i complaining about the oppressed Muslims of Xinjiang? As I recall, their population is almost double that of J&K. Further, I have never seen Khamen'i call on the Muslims to "learn even from China", as Mohammed had instructed, and ask Iranians to ban the name Mohammed, or force men to dance during Ramzan, or to forget about beardage, etc... On the contrary, they don't want to learn from China on the one hand, or to criticise it as they must on the other, if they don't want to take the prophet's instruction (I'm speaking with tongue in cheek, but you get the drift on the hypocrisy being demonstrated by the Rahbar).

>>It will give Iran arms,etc. to shore up its def. capability against the Saudis and co. Chinese dpl. support for iran at the UNSC is also on the anvil.WE have to be very focused at not allowing any such relationship to be at India's expense.

We have never been overtly critical of Iran, nor have we interfered ever in its internal affairs. Iran must learn to do the same and keep it's mouth firmly shut on matters that have to do with our internal security. We import a lot from them, despite intense pressures and despite the fact that there are countries more than happy to replace them. We have been loyal to them through their toughest times, and they know it. I have been a strong supporter of Indo-Iranian relations throughout my participation on the forum. If the fellow had just said it once, I'd have let it go myself. Not twice. And thrice, as the Soviets, say is enemy action.

It is for Iran, now, to behave and not speak about our internal matters. They don't need to lose the friends they have.

srin wrote:Possible that Chinese have offered better terms on Chabahar, and they want to get rid of us. Don't see any other point to this shooting themselves in the foot.

they are muslims and will take money from both sides. We are the foolish ones who have romanticized the whole business of "centuries old ties and ancient friendships".....They have never taken our side in any international fora.

+100Imagine a world in which India had no relations with Iran v/s India with no relations with Arabs.. you get my drift.

What is so special about going out of the way to be nice to Iran. I am sure KSA and Arabs would be more than happy to have Bharat firmly in there camp. If India plays its cards well, KSA may even get Pakis to handover even Gwadar to India Ok, that was stretching it too much).To rephrase Philip, Iran should immediately send high level delegation to India to apologize for the barf, that high ranking Mullah has vomited and placate India.

Two Iranian civilians were killed in an alleged cross-border attack by suspected militants on Saturday, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

A statement on the Guards' Sepah News website said, "On Saturday evening, a terrorist team... fired (ammunition) from within Pakistani territory towards the Iranian border region of Saravan. Two local workers in the region were martyred in this terrorist attack,” read the statement.

Last time Fields medal (Mathematics most prestigious prize) was awarded in 2014. India's Manjul Bhargava became the first Indian (or Indian origin US citizen) to win this medal. Mirzakhani became the first woman, and first Iranian to win this medal.xpost: Mirzakhani, math superstar from Iran (a Prof at Stanford at present) died.

I mentioned her here in Brf when she won the Fields Medal along with India's Manjul Bhargava.(She won IMO gold medals - first Iranian women to do so - She won Fields Medal most recently (2014) - First Women to get this prize, also the first from Iran) Iranian math genius Mirzakhani passes away

Interestingly Mirzakhani is perhaps famous because when Hassan Rouhani tweeted congratulations to her (being the first Iranian to win the prize) he also used a photo of her without a hijab!

^^^ Interesting that some newspapers in Iran are breaking hizab taboo! Mirzakhani is shown without a hizab. ..When she won the Fields medal in 2014 Iran's newspapers had digitally retouched her photograph to put a scarf over her head while others published a sketch showing only her face.

A very tragic death not just for her young age but also considering the wealth of talent she had. Who knows what all she would have discovered if she had lived a naturally long life. Ironically, 40 years (the age she died at) is the cut-off for the Fields Medal.

Slowly and steadily the effort to provide land-locked Afghanistan an alternative route to and from the sea that will allow Afghanistan to mitigate threat of halting transit of essential import and export products by the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is coming to fruition.

Iran’s Mehr News on the progress of the Khaf (Iran) to Herat (Afghanistan) railway line. Note that report talks about the significance of the Khaf-Herat rail link to India:

Khaf-Herat railway to open within weeks

TEHRAN, Jul. 20 (MNA) – A senior official in Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said the railway from Khaf in Iran to Herat in Afghanistan will become operational in three weeks.

Director General of the Organization for International Affairs at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways Abbas Nazari said, given its significance to Iran and India, the railway will come on stream before it completely reaches Herat.

He went on to add that Iran had already constructed the trach from Khaf to Shematigh border inside Iran, which was previously inaugurated by the Iranian minister of roads and urban planning; “meanwhile, 30 kilometers of the total 64 kilometers connecting the border point to Herat will become operation in the coming three weeks.”

Iran’s first consignment to be exported to Afghanistan consists of cement though other products like gasoline and gas oil will also be carried to the neighboring country via the new route. Nazari estimated that Iran’s exports to Afghanistan through the railroad will reach five million tons per year.

Toughing upon the significance of the railway forIndia, he underlined hat opening of Khaf-Herat railway will benefit Indians since they are a major exporter of a variety of products to Afghanistan; “Indian vessels, upon unloading shipments in Bandar Abbas, will transfer cargo or bulk containers to Khaf via Bandar Abbas-Bafgh railroad and later to Afghanistan through the new path.”

Indo-Iranian relations are of the utmost importance ,as important as those with ant other major nation.IT is so strat. located,the largest Shiite nation in the world,counter to Sunni Saudi Arabia,and possesses oil,etc. ,one of our key suppliers of energy. Apart from being a neighbour of Pak ,adjoining Baluchistan (trying to break free from Pak) and Aghanistan,Iran is also being wooed massively by the Chinese. It has been the US which has time and again tried to downgrade Indo-Relations in support of Pak mainly,but India cannot allow Iran to fall into China's lap.Ck this out:

For China’s global ambitions, ‘Iran is at the centre of everything’Thomas Erdbrink NEYSHABUR, JULY 26, 2017 00:00 ISTUPDATED: JULY 26, 2017 03:39 ISTSHARE ARTICLEPRINT AAATH26ChinaIranG3J25OVS03jpgjpgDrivers of change:Chinese entrepreneur Zuao Ru Lin, centre, at one of his plants, which recycles paper, in Neyshabur, Iran.NYT The west Asian country, historically a crossroads, is strategically crucial to Beijing’s plans to increase its footprint across the world using the ‘One Belt, One Road’ project

When Zuao Ru Lin, a Beijing entrepreneur, first heard about business opportunities in eastern Iran, he was sceptical. But then he bought a map and began to envision the region without any borders, as one enormous market.

“Many countries are close by, even Europe,” Mr. Lin, 49, said while driving his white BMW over the highway connecting Tehran to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad recently. “Iran is at the centre of everything.”

For millennia, Iran has prospered as a trading hub linking East and West. Now, that role is set to expand in coming years as China unspools its ‘One Belt, One Road’ project, which promises more than $1 trillion in infrastructure investment — bridges, rails, ports and energy — in over 60 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa.

Iran, historically a crossroads, is strategically at the centre of those plans.

Like pieces of a sprawling geopolitical puzzle, components of China’s infrastructure network are being put in place. In eastern Iran, Chinese workers are busily modernising one of the country’s major rail routes, standardising gauge sizes, improving the track bed and rebuilding bridges, with the ultimate goal of connecting Tehran to Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Much the same is happening in western Iran, where railroad crews are working to link the capital to Turkey and, eventually, to Europe. Other rail projects will connect Tehran and Mashhad with deepwater ports in the country’s south.

Once dependent on Beijing during the years of international isolation imposed by the West for its nuclear program, Iran is now critical to China’s ability to realise its grandiose ambitions. Other routes to Western markets are longer and lead through Russia, potentially a competitor of China.

“It is not as if their project is cancelled if we don’t participate,” said Asghar Fakhrieh-Kashan, Iranian deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development. “But if they want to save time and money, they will choose the shortest route.”

He added with a smile: “There are also political advantages to Iran, compared to Russia. They are highly interested in working with us.”

Biggest trading partner

Others worry that with the large-scale Chinese investment and China’s growing presence in the Iranian economy, Tehran will become more dependent than ever on China, already its biggest trading partner.

China is also an important market for Iranian oil, and because of remaining unilateral U.S. sanctions that intimidate global banks, it is the only source of the large amounts of capital Iran needs to finance critical infrastructure projects. But that, apparently, is a risk the leadership is prepared to take.

“China is dominating Iran,” said Mehdi Taghavi, an economics professor at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, adding that the “Iranian authorities do not see any drawbacks to being dependent on China. Together, we are moving ahead.” It is not just roads and rail lines that Iran is getting from China. Iran is also becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese entrepreneurs like Mr. Lin.

A visionary businessman

With a few words of Persian, as well as low-interest loans and tax breaks from the Chinese and Iranian governments, he has built a small empire since moving to Iran in 2002. His eight factories make a wide variety of goods that find markets in Iran and in neighbouring countries.

“You can say that I was even more visionary than some of our politicians,” Mr. Lin said with a laugh. Since 2013, when the ‘One Belt, One Road’ plan was started, he has had dozens of visitors from China and multiple meetings with the Chinese ambassador in Tehran. “I was a pioneer, and they want to hear my experiences,” he said. Mr. Lin established his factories along what will be a key part of the trade route — a 575-mile electrified rail line linking Tehran and Mashhad, financed with a $1.6 billion loan from China.

When completed and attached to the wider network, the new line will enable Mr. Lin to export his goods as far as northern Europe, Poland and Russia, at much less cost than today.

When finished, the proposed rail link will stretch nearly 2,000 miles, from Urumqi, the capital of China’s western region of Xinjiang, to Tehran. If all goes according to plan, it will connect Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, China’s state-owned paper, China Daily, wrote. Track sizes need to be adjusted and new connections made, as well as upgrades to the newest trains.

In a 2016 test, China and Iran drove a train from the port of Shanghai in eastern China to Tehran in just 12 days, a journey that takes 30 days by sea. In Iran, they used the existing track between Tehran and Mashhad, powered by a slower diesel-powered train. When the new line is opened in 2021, it is expected to accommodate electric trains at speeds up to 125 mph.

Mr. Fakhrieh-Kashan, an English speaker who oversees negotiation of most of the larger international state business deals, said the Chinese initiative would do much more than just provide a channel for transporting goods.“Think infrastructure, city planning, cultural exchanges, commercial agreements, investments and tourism,” he said. “You can pick any project, they are all under this umbrella.”NYT

Iran is accused of breaking an official ban on building ballistic missiles after its state broadcaster announced the launch of a rocket capable of reaching space.

Iranian state television showed footage of a rocket firing from a launch-pad adorned with pictures of the nation’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseine Khamenei.

The broadcast said: “The Imam Khomeini Space Centre was officially opened with the successful test of the Simorgh (Phoenix) space launch vehicle."The Simorgh can place a satellite weighing up to 250 kg (550 pounds) in an orbit of 500 km (311 miles)."

Earlier this month, the US slapped Iran with new financial punishments over its “malign activities” in the Middle East, in a bid to force it to cut back on its weapons programme.

The move shows President Donald Trump is taking a hard line with the Islamic Republic as the country appears to be flying in the face of a 2015 agreement not to build weapons for nuclear war.

Philip wrote:Indo-Iranian relations are of the utmost importance ,as important as those with ant other major nation.IT is so strat. located,the largest Shiite nation in the world,counter to Sunni Saudi Arabia,and possesses oil,etc. ,one of our key suppliers of energy. Apart from being a neighbour of Pak ,adjoining Baluchistan (trying to break free from Pak) and Aghanistan,Iran is also being wooed massively by the Chinese. It has been the US which has time and again tried to downgrade Indo-Relations in support of Pak mainly,but India cannot allow Iran to fall into China's lap.Ck this out:

Godless Chins in bed with Shiite Iranians? Think again.Uncle Sam compromises whenever it suits him so should India.There are some relationships which cannot be sacrificed by India.For. example.It is only now,after decades that the US is threatening Pak with small aid cuts.India has cried itself hoarse to the US about Paki terror,but has the US listened? No way! Therefore,since the issue,China ousting India in IRan, is of such great security importance, we should look after our interests first,not that of Uncle Sam's. There are many ways of skinning a cat.Indo-Russian payments after some of their banks have US sanctions,were resolved through G-to-G sovereign guarantees. It is past time that Indian diplomacy grew some "test*cles"!

Philip wrote:Godless Chins in bed with Shiite Iranians? Think again.Uncle Sam compromises whenever it suits him so should India.There are some relationships which cannot be sacrificed by India.For. example.It is only now,after decades that the US is threatening Pak with small aid cuts.India has cried itself hoarse to the US about Paki terror,but has the US listened? No way! Therefore,since the issue,China ousting India in IRan, is of such great security importance, we should look after our interests first,not that of Uncle Sam's. There are many ways of skinning a cat.Indo-Russian payments after some of their banks have US sanctions,were resolved through G-to-G sovereign guarantees. It is past time that Indian diplomacy grew some "test*cles"!

Cheen did not "oust" us in Iran because we were never really there. Since the Shah was toppled, Iran became a terrorism supporting pariah. Shunned by all democracies.

But of course, the great supporter of rogue states, the PRC had been there from the beginning of the Islamic State, hawking the Iranians F-7s, Silkworms, C-801s among others.

Again, what can we offer them as a responsible nation?

Cheen, being the proliferator it is, gave them help in their nuclear and ballistic missile programs through its NoKo and Paki proxies. Can we match?

Cheen is offering them investments and connections to the global trade system through OBOR that are not subjected to American interference. Can we match?

Chini-Irani trade is $33B while Hindi-Irani trade is $9B, can we offer more than Cheen even if we flout US sanctions?

Forget about it. Cheen has more money, more resources and more pure affinity to rogue states to win Iran no matter what we do. Turning our backs on the US to pursue some imaginary alliance with a muslim state that sponsored terrorism is stupid.

Cheen has a permanent seat at the security council. That makes Cheen Sanctions proof to a very large extent, and allows it to pursue a very dangerous foreign policy and across the board proliferation including in banned nuclear materials with impunity.

The railway line to Herat from Iran is being built by the Chinese.

India is supposed to build a railway line from Chabahar to afghanistan, and my understanding was that SAIL or some other indian entity was supplying / shipping rail tracks already, but again news about Indo-Iran ties is hard to come by - they are very hush hush, and trying to fly under the radar.

Incidentally, ships have already started plying between India and Iran to Chabahar. Atleast two ships have berthed at the single dock present at Chabahar and shipped some 500-600 + containers worth of goods for Iran and Afghanistan.

GoI had put out tenders to equip and run Chabahar port and two indian comapnies - Essar and Adani had been shortlisted, but Essar dropped out, leaving a single vendor situation - a no no for GOI tenders. So the tender is now being re-worked.

By THOMAS ERDBRINKJULY 25, 2017NEYSHABUR, Iran — When Zuao Ru Lin, a Beijing entrepreneur, first heard about business opportunities in eastern Iran, he was skeptical. But then he bought a map and began to envision the region without any borders, as one enormous market.

“Many countries are close by, even Europe,” Mr. Lin, 49, said while driving his white BMW over the highway connecting Tehran to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad recently. “Iran is at the center of everything.”...Like pieces of a sprawling geopolitical puzzle, components of China’s infrastructure network are being put in place. In eastern Iran, Chinese workers are busily modernizing one of the country’s major rail routes, standardizing gauge sizes, improving the track bed and rebuilding bridges, with the ultimate goal of connecting Tehran to Turkmenistan and Afghanistan....Much the same is happening in western Iran, where railroad crews are working to link the capital to Turkey and, eventually, to Europe. Other rail projects will connect Tehran and Mashhad with deepwater ports in the country’s south....“China is dominating Iran,” said Mehdi Taghavi, an economics professor at Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran, adding that the “Iranian authorities do not see any drawbacks to being dependent on China. Together, we are moving ahead.”

The Iranians don't mind being dominated -- as long as it "protects" them from the Americans.

At the invitation of the government of the Islamic State of Iran, Director He Lifeng of the National Development and Reform Commission will travel to Tehran as President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy to attend the inaugural ceremony of Iranian President Rouhani on August 5.The friendly China-Iran relations have been developing with a sound momentum since the establishment of diplomatic ties. During President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to Iran in January 2016, the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership was established, ushering a new chapter for bilateral relations. China attaches high importance to its relations with Iran and stands ready to work with Iran to consolidate traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, and move forward the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.

chola wrote:The Iranians don't mind being dominated -- as long as it "protects" them from the Americans.

These people are no different from Pakis.

I would argue that Iranis are even worse than Pakis when you consider their actions against the Arab world. This modern Sunni and Shia conflict was entirely created by the Iranian Mullahs which now manifests itself as a proxy war in numerous Arab countries. Saudis are no angels, but when you look at the facts, Iranians have engaged in proxy warfare that makes J&K look like a playground.

What is Iranian obsession with Arabs anyway? Do they want to control Mecca? Do we need allies that look at the world entirely though a religious/sectarian lens.

It just seems like there is no winning with Iranains. Even without religion, they will always be obsessed with the Arab world.